Crazy On You
by Little Gem Magnolia
Summary: Roberto's crazy about Amara. Amara pretty sure he's just crazy.
1. When I was not so strong you know

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own _X-Men Evolution_, any of the characters or _Crazy On You _by _Heart_.

Summary: Roberto's crazy about Amara. Amara pretty sure he's just crazy.

A/N: The title of this fic, as well as the chapter titles, are all taken from _Heart_ songs which do not belong to me.

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_Chapter One_

"Psst."

Amara rolled her eyes at the sound, forcing herself to stay focused on the textbook in front of her. She was at school to learn, not gossip.

"Psst."

Unfortunately Jubilee did not share her studious sentiments. Her attempts to distract Amara from her work were getting louder and would eventually attract Dr. McCoy's attention.

When the second _psst_ went unanswered, the younger girl decided to resort to drastic, paper airplane-throwing measures, prompting the royal seated in front of her to whip around with a glare. "What is so all-fired important?" she hissed, tone a bit more venomous than she intended.

Thankfully Jubilee was not so easily offended and simply beamed back in response. "He's staring again," she sang quietly, as if that one statement was an explanation in itself.

Brown eyes darted to the far side of the room before returning to the quirky mall-rat behind her. "So..."

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "So this is huge," she whispered loudly. "He's hot, rich, officially in college this year and totally head-over-heels for you." She paused to look around. "Go. For. It."

Amara's eyes narrowed further, this time in confusion. "Go for what?"

"The gold in Olympic skiing," Tabitha suddenly hissed from their right. "Go for him."

"Why?"

The unmistakable sound of skin hitting skin could be heard and both girls turned to see Boom Boom with her palm pressed to her forehead. "What's wrong with you? He's gorgeous!"

"And he wouldn't go for you," Rahne cut in from behind the blonde time bomb. "You're too easy," she snickered boldly, prompting an answering giggle from the Asian beside her.

Tabitha scoffed and folded her arms. "As if. He's so not my type."

"Right. Tall, dark and handsome is never anyone's type," Jubes mumbled sarcastically.

"Quite frankly, I think you are all losing sight of what is important," Amara interjected smartly. Blank stares greeted her and she huffed before adding: "Learning. It is why we are here after all."

The three girls around her laughed outright at not only her sentiments but her seriousness.

Dr. McCoy turned to the quartet with raised brows, instantly setting his sights on the girl closest to him. "Do you have anything to add, Miss. Aquilla?" he inquired, peering at her over his glasses.

Amara sat up in her seat, back ramrod straight as all eyes turned toward her. "No, sir," she answered clearly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

He simply nodded and returned to his lecture and, eventually, the attention of the class followed him.

Jubilee leaned forward and poked her in the side. "He's still staring," she teased. "Why are you avoiding him?"

The princess huffed but didn't turn around. "Why are you avoiding Ray?" she threw back snidely. A surge of satisfaction went through her when she received no answer. "Now I will thank you to leave me be to take my notes. We have a test coming up."

Jubilee sat back and slunk low in her seat, mumbling quietly to herself. "How did I let you talk me into taking this class anyway?"

"Because political science is a necessary course given my future position and you love me and support me," she reminded sweetly, craning her neck to see her friend out of her peripheral. "And unless my memory escapes me, talking you into this course was not too taxing once you were informed that a certain electricity wielding mutant was enrolled as well," she added with a smile, turning her back on her gaping friend.

000

"Stop staring," Ray demanded, leaning over and giving Roberto a swift smack to the back of the head. "You look desperate and she's jail bait."

Instead of being angry, the energy absorbing mutant laughed quietly and shook his head. "The only reason you're taking McCoy's lecture is because a seventeen year old girl - who barely knows you exist, by the way - got bamboozled into joining her friend in learning the joys of politics and _I'm_ the desperate one?" he challenged, a silly grin on his face.

Ray settled for grumbling as opposed to responding and Roberto happily took that as a small personal victory.

"Do you think she'd go to the prom with me?" he whispered after a moment.

Ray chuckled and, once again, reached over to smack his friend in the back of the head. This time the hit had a little more force behind it. "You're not in high school anymore, genius. I think the prom-ship might have sailed on without you, buddy." At the lovesick expression on his friend's face, added: "Besides, she's royalty. Do you really think her parents are gonna want her to spend time with a commoner?"

Roberto's eyes narrowed and he shot Ray an unamused glare. "The Da Costa's are one of the richest, most powerful families in Rio. I'm not just some commoner," he reminded scornfully.

Ray raised his hands in a surrendering gesutre and shot a cautious look at McCoy before saying: "And she's Roman royalty; I'm sure her parents still see you as a commoner. They see _everyone_ as commoners." He paused for a moment. "Let it go. She's probably already betrothed or some shit like that anyway."

Brown eyes widened before turning to stare at the girl in question. "You don't think...?"

"Why else would she avoid you and your advances like the plague? Since when has a girl ever said no to the Da Costa charm? Or the Da Costa money and the gifts it can buy?"

Ray's tone was snide but that just barely covered up not only his seriousness but his concern. For the better part of a year his best friend had been enamored with the young princess and, while he'd been effectively shut down at every turn, he was eternally optimistic. He'd hate to see the fallout that would ensue when Roberto finally had to come to terms with the fact that Amara Aquilla was, in fact, out of his league and his reach.

000

Amara rushed out of McCoy's class as soon as he assigned their reading and dismissed them. She was sick of the _Roberto situation_, as she liked to call it, and couldn't bear to hear Tabitha and Jubilee carry on anymore. Not to mention that the man himself had a terrible habit of approaching her after their shared extra curricular, at home elective or any other activity they might share.

He was a nice guy, he really was but she wasn't entirely sure what to do with him.

Back home men did not actively court women in the way Roberto was showering her with his attention. Matches were not made for attraction or love, they were made for business and politics. Men did not woo women or flirt or genuinely compliment them and once a woman was caught, she was ignored and left to wilt in favor of ambition and money. To put it lightly, Roberto was of a different sort than she was used to. It was not necessarily a bad thing, it was simply foreign and she was unsure of how to act in situations with him so she chose not to.

It was her theory that if she ignored him, he would go away. In her experience men did not pursue women who were not receptive for long. He would eventually get bored and she would be left with her studies once again and so she saw no reason to clutter her life up in between by losing her senses, paying him unnecessary attention and taking the risk of falling for him.

Heartbreak and pain were not her strong suit.

Her escape attempt was apparently detected as she heard insistent footsteps following her as she turned toward the dormitories when all other footfalls went in directions such as the kitchen, the rec room and the danger room. She marginally quickened her pace and did not dare turn around to see who was behind her.

She knew it was him. It was always him.

Given her hasty departure from class, hall traffic and the time it probably took him to escape Ray she estimated that she was far enough ahead of him to disappear into her room without an encounter, provided he didn't use his powers of course.

The figure behind her entered her peripheral and she mentally cursed his energy absorption talents.

He was cheating. There were rules of engagement and, though she wasn't entirely sure what they were, she knew he had to be breaking them. He just had to.

She knew he was not so bold as to grab her in order to stop her but at the same time she would not let him know how he affected her by noticeably running from him. That would give him the power and up to this point she had held and maintained the power.

She would not lose the power. It was not in her nature.

Squaring her shoulders and stopping abruptly, she turned to him. He overshot her a bit before realizing she'd stopped and she laughed quietly as he walked backwards toward her, a winning grin on his face.

"Fancy meeting you here," he drawled, rocking back on his heels like a nervous child.

He never ceased to amaze her. He had the face of a model, the body of a god and the voice of a phone-sex operator but was forever a child in her presence; an anxious, bumbling school boy who did everything in his power to impress her. She thanked the gods every day that he was unaware he needn't work so hard. She was already impressed and she would move heaven and earth to keep that a secret.

"I was about to say the same thing," she began regally. "You are standing in the middle of the girls dormitory."

An adorable tint of red spread high on his cheeks and she noticed his ears turning a faint pink as well as he cautiously took in their surroundings. Wolverine would skewer him if he was caught.

"So I am." He chuckled nervously. "You're a hard woman to catch, Miss. Aquilla," he commented lowly.

It was not lost on her that he was shamelessly flirting and it took everything in her not to smile. She couldn't. If she smiled she would encourage him and she didn't want to encourage him, she wanted him to get bored and move on so that she would no longer be tempted to accept his advances.

She was at Xavier's to learn in a safe environment not socialize.

"I am a busy woman," she stated tonelessly as she, once again, began walking toward her room. She didn't like the twinkle in his eye, the dangerous gleam there. It spelled trouble for her and put her on edge. "Is there something I can help you with?" With any luck he would sense her discomfort and let her slip into her room once they reached it.

She spared him a glance when he cleared his throat and found him looking at his shoes. "I was wondering if..." he trailed off before cutting his statement short and starting again. "I was wondering if you would tutor me for the test in McCoy's class next week," he finished unsurely.

It was not what he was originally going to say, of that she was sure, and she was dually thankful and disappointed that he had rethought his words. On the one hand she was insanely interested in what was going on in his head, far more than she should be if she was being completely honest, but at the same time the subject of school work was, no doubt, infinitely safer than his original thought.

She sighed and stopped in front of her door. "You are probably the most intelligent person in that course, Roberto," she began, turning to find him still staring at his heinously overpriced sneakers. "Why would you need help studying? And from me, no less?"

He lifted his head but his eyes were focused on a point just beyond her shoulder and, when he spoke, his voice wavered slightly, a sure sign of his deception. "You just seem to have a really good handle on all of this political stuff and I've never been overly good at government policy..."

It was a lie. She knew it. They had attended Bayville together for three years and lived together at the institue for almost four and she'd heard people sing his praises enough at assemblies and breakfast to know just how smart he was. In three years he'd excelled in everything from English and History to fine arts and sports.

She was ready to call him on it. Prepared to give him what for, ask him how simple he thought she was but something stopped her. She wasn't sure if it was his hunched posture or the absence of the arrogant confidence he never seemed to be without but whatever it was, it gave her pause and she rethought subjecting him to her infamous, fiery temper.

"I am free during the week after school between the hours of four and six," she informed brusquely. "I can be found in Xavier's library studying for _all_ of my classes during that time. If you wish to join me, you may."

And with that she entered her room, shut the door and left him standing in the hall.

She pretended not to hear his boisterous shout of victory.

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_Please review._


	2. I could not run away

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

* * *

_Chapter Two_

A muffled _thump _broke the silence of the library and Amara had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Her head snapped up from her book, eyes shooting daggers at Jubilee, who was seated to her left. As if spending time with the object of her eternal frustration and distraction wasn't bad enough, now it seemed as though her best friend wasn't even going to allow her to use the time to study.

"What?" she hissed, actively avoiding the curious chocolate gaze directly across from her.

Jubilee's eyes flickered. Apparently she was trying to ignore their guests as well. "I have to go to the bathroom."

An amused snort came from Amara's right but she didn't pay the blonde next to her any mind as she leaned across the table to her friend. "So go."

Jubilee flashed a cheeky grin and closed the distance between them to whisper in the princess' ear. "And leave you with them?"

Amara's eyes widened and she spared a glance at the two boys in their company for the first time since they'd sat down. "You wouldn't."

"I would," she assured, jerking her head in the direction of the door.

Amara sat back and leisurely took in the entire table before rolling her eyes and pushing her chair back. "If you would please excuse us, we will be back momentarily."

The boys watched with fascinated interest as the girls withdrew hastily, both a little more than impressed at the amount of dignity Amara brought to the otherwise cowardly action.

"Is she running away from me?" Roberto wondered, a bemused expression on his handsome face.

Ray just laughed and turned his attention back to his book. "I believe when you're royalty it's called a _strategic retreat_."

000

Jubilee grabbed Amara's arm and stopped just outside the doors to the library.

"I thought you had to-"

"That was just an excuse to get out of there," the Asian girl cut in with a sigh. "Remind me why I'm here again?" she pleaded, wide eyes holding a panicked edge.

"Because you love me and support me," Amara supplied in all seriousness.

Jubilee rolled her eyes and sagged against the wall. "And that's always your excuse because...?"

The young royal shrugged. "Because it works. I would be stupid not to exploit your soft heart and easily guilted conscious."

Jubilee shot her a dubious look that would have been humorous at any other time but this was not any other time. There were two guys with unknown intentions waiting for them in the library to prove just how not-funny the entire situation was.

"I'm not even sure _guilted_ is a word," Jubilee snapped, a bit bitter over the easy and fairly accurate assessment of her character.

She was ignored as Amara carried on.

"Be content in the knowledge that you are doing your very best friend in the entire world a great service by stepping out of your comfort zone for a mere two hours," she assured as she cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "If it was just Roberto and I the situation would be unbearably awkward but, with you here, Roberto must have Ray here as well to relieve the tension and quell the illusion of there being a third wheel."

Jubilee wasn't sure which one of them Amara was trying to convince with that speech of hers but nodded in response to the theory anyway.

"I don't understand why you have a problem with Ray anyway," Amara went on after a brief pause. "You two used to hang out all the time. You, Ray and Bobby were the three musketeers when it came to pranks around here, what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," her friend replied stiffly, pushing off the wall and turning back to the library. "Let's just get this over with," she sighed, disappearing through the double doors.

Amara looked after her suspiciously before shaking off the strange exchange and following at a slightly slower pace. No need to hasten to her end.

000

The two hours Amara had allotted him were over before he knew it and Roberto silently cursed not only how quickly the time had passed but her craftiness as well. When she had agreed to allow him to join her to study, he had imagined that they would be studying alone. Never in a million years had he expected her to invite Jubilee, who was notorious for skipping any and all things scholarly, which had, in turn, forced him to invite Ray.

She had outfoxed him and set up a damned group-date. It was now painfully obvious that he had underestimated her but he would not make that mistake again.

If she wanted to play hardball, that was just fine with him.

If she wanted to make him work for her attentions, then that's exactly what he would do.

If she wanted a war, she'd get one. He just hoped she was ready for it because he was determined to make her his.

And once she was his, he would keep her. This wasn't a challenge for him and he wasn't just interested because she was the first one to ignore him. He was completely enamored with her and everything about her, had been for at least a year.

She was smart, spunky and devious and he liked that. She wasn't a party girl; she was the kind of girl that made a guy want to settle down. She wouldn't stand for being second choice or one in a number of girls in his little black book and she had an attitude and temper that could match his own. She could stand her ground against him, of that he was sure.

Maybe it was the spoiled rich kid in him, or perhaps it was the flirtatious playboy who'd never been told "no." Whatever it was, Roberto da Costa was accustomed to getting what he wanted and he wanted her...

And damn anyone who tried to stop him.

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_Please review._


	3. It seemed like he knew me

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own _X-Men Evolution _or any of the characters.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback.

* * *

_Chapter Three_

"I can't do this," Jubilee suddenly announced as she and Amara walked the halls of Bayville High.

Amara turned sympathetic eyes to her friend as she stopped at her locker and began to work the combination, ignoring the dirty looks they were getting from their peers. "We only have a semester and a half left and then we can attend college where no one knows what we are," she soothed, exchanging her Chemistry book for English and slamming the door to her locker. "Or you could continue your education with Dr. McCoy at the institute if you prefer. Evan seems to be doing quite well-"

"That's not what I meant," the raven haired girl cut in. "I don't think I can chaperone your study date with Roberto today," she explained, wincing as her friend whirled around, a deer in headlights look in her eyes.

"Please don't do this to me."

In all the years Jubilee had known and shared a room with Amara she'd never heard the princess beg anything of anyone but the Roman beauty was coming pretty close now.

"Oh come on, 'Mara. You've been studying together for almost a week and he hasn't tried anything or crossed the line. I think you'll be fine," she assured, tearing her eyes from the imploring ones in front of her and falling back into the flow of high school traffic.

Amara soon followed her, quickly matching her stride. "Only because you and Ray were there. He is planning something, I know he is and he has been decidedly bolder these past few days. I don't like it."

Jubilee opened her mouth to retort but Amara continued, tone sharpening as her mood took a turn for the worst.

"And don't call me _'Mara_," she ordered forcefully. "You've got _him_ doing it."

Jubilee giggled. "So I noticed. Seems he's gotten quite comfortable with that little nickname over the past few days," she teased, poking her friend in the side.

"You cannot abandon me now, I need you," Amara insisted, eyes showing her displeasure at the source of Jubilee's amusement.

The younger girl shook her head as she stopped in front of her last class of the day. "The test is in two days, I'm sure you can manage four hours alone with him. I mean what's he going to do? Jump your bones right there in the library?"

"If he does, it will be your fault. I hope you will be able to live with yourself."

Amara's haughty tone triggered another round of giggles from Jubilee, who suggested dropping a fireball down his pants before entering her class, leaving her friend gaping in the hall.

000

Roberto couldn't contain the grin that crossed his face when he passed Jubilee on his way to the library.

"What did you do?" Ray accused, taking careful note of not only Roberto's expression but the fact that it was almost four and the pretty firecracker didn't seem to be on her way to study with her friend.

The young Brazilian turned to his friend to find him walking backwards, eyes trained on the high school senior walking in the opposite direction. "I didn't do anything," he insisted unconvincingly.

Ray came to a stop in the middle of the hall, eyebrows raised suspiciously.

"Okay so I may or may not have had a talk with Jubilee, during which I may or may not have convinced her to ditch Amara for today..." Roberto trailed slyly, never once breaking his stride.

Ray smiled and once again began walking, this time in the opposite direction of the library. "You're going to hell one day. You know that, right?"

"But I'm gonna have so much fun getting there."

000

He was staring at her, she could feel it. It took everything she had to keep her eyes on her history book. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to her. And boy was he getting to her.

Her entire body felt like it was on fire.

She could feel every sweep his eyes made, knew exactly where he was staring and for how long. For the moment he was being a perfect gentleman. His eyes had been on her face for the past few minutes but she could tell they were getting bored.

His gaze irked her. She didn't appreciate how he made her feel or how over ninety nine percent of the time it felt like he was undressing her with his eyes.

While it wasn't an outright violation, and the attention wasn't what one would call _unwanted_ in the strictest or most traditional sense, she was sure his imagination was vivid and that bothered her. Men were not meant to be so bold with young, unattached women; it wasn't proper. There were rules.

"'Mara?"

She shuddered. She'd never given the nickname Jubilee had almost immediately bestowed upon her the moment they'd met any thought until _he_ had started using the moniker. Somehow it just sounded different when he said it.

"Yes?" she answered after taking a moment to compose herself.

When he didn't answer right away she looked up to find him leaning toward her, inches from her face. "I need help."

She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and leaned back in her chair to put some distance between them. If he thought he was going to trap her so easily then he was sorely mistaken.

"I can try but I will not promise anything," she sighed, the corners of her eyes betraying her smile. "I'm not a trained psychiatrist after all."

Her smug retort caught him off guard but only for a moment. Quickly recovering, he crept closer to eliminate the distance she'd tried to put between them. "I'm sure you'll do fine," he responded with a wink, eyes scanning her body suggestively.

The action made her blush and she prayed he didn't notice.

Her prayers seemingly went unanswered as his grin widened and she mentally cursed her revered gods for conspiring against her this day.

"Would you mind coming over here and explaining the difference between Walzner and Thompson's _dirty hands_ theories?"

She rolled her eyes at the suggestive emphasis in his words and idly wondered just what she'd done to capture his attention. Whatever it was she could stop doing it, she knew she could.

"I'm sure I can explain it just fine from over here."

He pouted. "Aww now where's the fun in that?"

000

"So you just threw your best friend to the big bad wolf, what are you going to do now?"

Jubilee jumped and spun around, coming face to face with Ray. He had his hand extended toward her like he was holding a microphone, a winning, game show-host smile on his face.

She looked down, rolling her eyes at his antics as she picked at the label on her bottle of water. "I'm going to go by a new car," she mumbled testily, mentally plotting her escape.

The kitchen door was a mere two feet away. She could make it given the right distraction.

"Why'd you do it?" he questioned and when she looked up, she found that his expression was oddly serious.

She shrugged, focusing on a point just beyond his shoulder. "I think he could be good for her," she confessed quietly. "But if you tell either of them that, I'll tell them you lied."

A weak glare punctuated her equally weak threat and he chuckled at her child-like words. "Well I'll let you in on a little secret," he began, leaning toward her conspiratorially. "I think she'll be _very_ good for him."

She turned toward him with curious eyes and was about to speak when he continued.

"He needs his ego taken down a peg or two." His tone was grave and it appeared as though he had given the thought of their best friends getting together a great deal of thought. "He needs his heart broken a bit too. I have all the faith in the world that she's the one who can do it."

Jubilee wasn't sure what to make of that. Sure she thought that Roberto would have a good effect on Amara. She believed that he could make her friend loosen up a bit and live life the way it was meant to be lived, breaking the young princess of her habit of 'going through the motions.' Put an end to her constant, obsessive studying. It was Jubilee's belief that, if one was to have a restricting and boring existence such as the one Amara was destined to inherit, then they should live life when given the chance. Roberto could help Amara do that.

But Ray? Ray was talking about completely crushing Roberto's current personality. Potentially changing who he was, who he would be.

"Don't get me wrong," Ray forged on as though he were reading her mind. "Roberto's the best friend a guy could hope for but she'll make him better. Sometimes you need someone to break your heart to put things into perspective," he finished; words loaded as he pinned her with a telling stare.

She cleared her throat and silently grasped for something, anything to say to change the subject. She knew he was confused and hurt but she couldn't deal with him right now. She didn't know if she'd _ever_ be ready to deal with him.

"I-" she started uneasily, only to be saved by the boisterous entrance of Boom Boom.

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked to her blonde friend with a grateful smile. A flirtatious smirk swept across Tabitha's face as she caught sight of Ray and Jubilee crept around the two toward the door, thankful for the distraction.

Blue eyes locked with brown for a moment before she turned and ducked out of the kitchen, leaving him at the mercy of the turbulent time bomb.

* * *

_Please review. _


	4. He looked right through me

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men Evolution or the characters...pretty sure I never will.

* * *

_Chapter Four_

"So," Jubilee began as she entered the room she shared with Amara. "How did it go?"

Amara shot her an unamused glare from her spot on her bed before turning back to the book in her lap.

"That good, huh?" Jubilee teased, sitting cross legged on her own bed across from her friend. "Did he violate you?"

A sigh answered her and, for a moment, she wondered if she was on the receiving end of the silent treatment before Amara replied with a barely audible: "No, not yet."

The younger girl laughed and fell back on her bed. "Why are you so sure he's going to try something? Maybe his intentions are genuine," she suggested, shrinking back from the look she received in response.

"Men like Roberto da Costa aren't genuine." Amara's voice was hard and Jubilee noticed that her spine had gone stiff. "They have hordes of females vying for their attention and do not understand how anyone could not find them attractive," she explained, rising from her bed to pace the room. "He is merely fascinated because I'm the first person he has ever met who doesn't fall at his feet. He will eventually get bored and move along; I just need to wait him out."

Jubilee opened her mouth to speak but Amara continued on as though she wasn't even there.

"I mean who does he think he is? Does he really believe that he is so special that he can just interrupt other people's lives and then disappear without consequence?"

A laugh interrupted her tirade and she looked over to see Jubilee propped up on her side, staring at her with mirth in her eyes.

"And you say you can't stand him," she accused, eyes narrowed playfully. "Sounds to me like you have a soft spot for everyone's favorite little Sunspot."

Amara's eyes darkened dangerously and her hands flew to her hips in what Jubilee referred to as her 'princess pose.' "Can you really see me with that oversexed, egotistical, arrogant-"

"Handsome, smart, charming, funny guy who just so happens to be perfect for you?" Jubilee supplied with a grin. Sitting back up, she patted the spot next to her and waited until Amara was seated before she spoke. "Come on, be honest with me. Why are you so afraid to give Roberto a chance? I mean the guy has put up with some serious abuse from you these past couple of months and he's still hanging around. That's gotta count for _something_, right?"

Sighing, Amara shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I like him, Jubes," she confessed quietly. "And I don't want to be around when he decides that he wants something else. I don't want to have to watch him pursue some other girl like he has pursued me." Placing her head on her knees she mumbled: "It's just better to keep him at a distance. It will be better for both of us in the long run."

Jubilee's eyes softened and she reached out, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulders. "But what about the short run? You two could be happy together, even if only for a little while." She paused for a minute to tuck a strand of hair behind Amara's ear, making the older girl turn to face her. "You've got so much responsibility and duty ahead of you, 'Mara. Why not do something for yourself for once?"

They sat in companionable silence for a while, leaning on each other as they stared at the wall opposite them, each lost in their own individual thoughts.

"Shouldn't you and the mirror be having a similar conversation?" Amara wondered after a moment. "Haven't you kept Ray in the dark long enough?"

Jubilee sighed and began to stand up but Amara grabbed her arm and pulled her back down beside her.

"Is it really that bad that you can't even tell _me_?"

"It's not bad," Jubilee insisted earnestly. "It's just a decision I had to make. Something I had to do on my own."

An elegant eyebrow rose in question and Jubilee sighed again.

"I'm a victim of the girl-code," she conceded softly and, at Amara's questioning gaze added: "Tabitha."

Amara laughed and when she spoke, her tone gave way to her incredulity. "But he's not even interested in her," she declared, disbelief shining in her eyes.

Jubilee just shook her head sadly. "Doesn't matter. She expressed her interest first and she's my friend. I can't do that to her."

"Oh come on, Tabitha is interested in everyone," Amara pointed out with a wide gesture.

"Not like she's interested in Ray."

"You are taking this out of context, I'm sure if you just talked to her-"

"No," Jubilee cut in frantically. "She can never know about this. Liking the guy your friend likes is like...the ultimate betrayal."

Amara moved to interject but her plasma wielding friend beat her to the punch.

"And _he_ will never know about this either," she announced forcefully, a warning note in her tone.

The young royal looked as though she wanted to protest but nodded anyway.

"Swear it on the river Styx."

"Gods are the ones who swear oaths on the Styx, not mortals."

"Just do it," Jubilee insisted with a frustrated stomp of her foot to which Amara giggled.

"Fine, I swear by the river Styx."

000

When Ray entered Roberto and Sam's room he found the Southerner lounging on his bed with both a notebook and a textbook in front of him while Roberto was just sitting on his bed, grinning into space.

"Well?" he asked expectantly, snapping his friend out of his daze.

"Well what?" Roberto returned, feigning ignorance yet unable to stop smiling.

Ray just shot him a look.

"I don't know, I think I'm actually getting somewhere with her," his friend divulged, a dreamy expression on his face. "I knew if I could just get her away from Jubilee for a little while, remove her from her comfort zone, that she'd warm up to me."

Sam laughed and shook his head but didn't even spare them a glance.

"You know something we don't there, Sam?" Ray questioned with a raised eyebrow.

The blonde just continued to shake his head before sitting up and fixing Roberto with an amused stare. "I can tell you, with a hundred percent certainty, that you won't get anywhere with that one."

Roberto's eyes narrowed dangerously and Ray took a step back in an act of self-preservation. He knew it was the wrong thing to say. The last time he'd seriously suggested that Roberto forget the Roman princess, his friend's eyes had flashed yellow with solar energy and he'd been pinned to the door of the boy's locker room before he could even blink.

Yes, trying to ward Roberto off was like poking a sleeping tiger with a stick but Ray couldn't bring himself to warn Sam. The situation was mildly entertaining when he wasn't the one doing the opposing.

"What makes you say that?" Ray prodded, wondering just how long it would take for Roberto to make use of that famous temper of his and fly off the handle.

Sam laughed again and stood from his bed, stretching. "Because I dated her for a while and nothing came of it," he informed smugly. "And if _I_ didn't get anywhere with her, I don't see why you would."

Roberto stood, coming toe to toe with his roommate. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, 'Berto," he began, drawing out his words tauntingly. "She's a bright girl. Why would she pass up a homegrown, one woman man just to get with a guy who has at least a hundred names in his little black book?"

Ray, sensing the immediate danger his Southern friend was in, coughed in an attempt to caution him against saying anything else.

Suddenly the situation wasn't as humorous as it had been a few minutes ago.

"If we were being completely honest here, you'd probably only be with her long enough to have sex with her and then drop her. She's too smart to fall for that."

Ray wasn't sure what surprised him more: the fact that Sam was bold enough to say the words or that Roberto had actually let him get them out before his entire body turned black.

Even though he saw it coming from a mile away Ray wasn't nearly quick enough, or strong enough, to intercept his fully powered, hot-headed Brazilian friend before he grabbed Sam and slammed him through the wall of their room. The wall crumbled under the force of the attack and both boys tumbled into the hall in a mass of angry, flailing limbs.

It took Sam a moment to recover from the unexpected onslaught and, when he did, Roberto left no opening for him to counterattack.

After countless attempts, Ray was finally able to get between the fighting mutants but holding the two back until reinforcements arrived proved to be harder than he'd first anticipated. His efforts earned him a kick to the shin and what he was sure would be a black eye in the morning, if not a couple of hours.

Fights were common in a house stock full of teenagers but they always drew a crowd so it wasn't long before help arrived but Ray barely noticed it when Bobby pulled Sam away from him. He was too distracted by the unadulterated rage in Roberto's eyes.

He looked worse for wear, it seemed Sam hadn't been quite as helpless as he'd originally thought, but it was as though he didn't even notice. He was too focused on Sam's accusations and was, no doubt, agonizing over the truth of them.

Not that there was any truth to Cannonball's words. Sure Roberto was a flirt but he was far from a playboy without morals. Ray had faith that his friend would never use a woman the way Sam had suggested he would and he would _never_ treat Amara that way.

He wasn't sure what it was about the young royal that gripped Roberto so but whatever it was, it had a hold of his friend and was not letting go.

A tug on his sleeve pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to meet Jubilee's curious gaze. "What happened?" she questioned, gaze flitting from Ray to Roberto then over to Sam and Bobby.

Ray began to speak but stopped short as he caught sight of Amara. She looked small and unsure of herself but that didn't stop her from slowly approaching Roberto. He absently thought of warning her against getting too close but the thought didn't last very long.

Roberto wouldn't hurt her. He could see it in the way his eyes softened as she advanced, his expression when he powered down as she drew nearer.

Chocolate eyes closed as she reached for his face, touch feather-light as she stroked his jaw. His lip was split and his nose was bleeding but he was in heaven as long as she was touching him.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

Roberto's eyes opened, prompting her to withdraw her hand. He caught it swiftly before she could achieve an effective retreat and held it gently in his own. "I'm fine," he assured with a small smile, careful not to stretch his injured lip.

Ray smiled. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"What the hell happened here?" The low growl was accompanied by a distinctive _snikt_, filling the occupants of the hallway with dread.

Or maybe they would all die a slow, painful death.

Either or. It was a tossup, really.

* * *

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	5. Come on home girl he said with a smile

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

* * *

_Chapter Five_

Roberto's head snapped toward Wolverine and he winced at the glare on the older man's face.

"Well?" the clawed mutant snarled expectantly, taking a menacing step forward. "I'm waiting."

He exchanged an anxious glance with Ray, all the while trying to come up with an excuse for the mess the boy's dorm was currently in. And from the look on Wolverine's face, it had better be a damn good excuse.

Before he could come up with something acceptable, a throat cleared from behind him and Sam stumbled forward.

Roberto heard Amara gasp and looked down to find her staring at the lanky blonde with wide eyes. She suddenly pulled her hand away from his and moved to Sam's side with concerned eyes where she was greeted with a wan smile and an arm around her shoulders.

Roberto's eyes narrowed into slits and lingering remnants of solar energy flashed there before simmering and disappearing completely.

"It was just a misunderstanding," Sam explained convincingly, squeezing Amara's shoulder and bringing her closer to him. "Won't happen again."

Wolverine let out a deep growl and started to speak but stopped short as Ororo, who had only recently arrived on the scene, touched his arm.

"I'm sure it won't," she returned neutrally. "Now why don't you two go down and have Hank check you out before bed? We'll sort the rest of this out in the morning."

Both boys nodded but Roberto couldn't bring himself to move. He could do nothing but stand and watch as Amara offered to help Sam down to the med bay, allowing him to lean on her as he limped away.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. He hadn't hurt him that badly, the faker.

He wanted to go after them but a warning frown from Storm and Ray's hand on his arm stopped him. There would be time for that later.

He would make sure of it.

000

"Would you calm down?" Jubilee groaned, running a hand through her hair. "You've been pacing for the past ten minutes; I'm sure he's fine."

Amara whirled around to face her friend but forced herself to stay rooted to the spot. "What would make him do something like that?"

Jubilee raised an eyebrow in confusion before shaking her head and asking her what she was talking about.

Amara's eyes shifted, taking in the empty hall around them before moving toward Jubilee and whispering: "Roberto. Why would he attack Sam like that?"

If anything Jubilee's confusion increased tenfold and she moved to Amara's side. "How are you so sure Roberto attacked Sam?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sam didn't look too innocent himself and it's not like Roberto came out of this without a scratch."

Amara huffed and cocked her hip. "Are you honestly going to stand there and compare a bloody nose to the level of damage done to Sam's entire face and body?"

"I'm just saying you might want to talk to Roberto before you make any assumptions," she began, raising her hands in surrender. "Things might not be as black and white as you think."

Amara looked as if she wanted to say something but decided against it when she heard someone coming down the hall toward them. Turning she saw Roberto and Ray, no doubt on their way to the med bay to see Dr. McCoy.

"Well isn't this sweet?" Roberto sneered as they drew closer. "Waiting for Sammy, are we?"

Ray cleared his throat and bumped Roberto's arm with his own. Their eyes met and Ray shook his head before turning back to the girls.

"Is Sam okay?" he wondered politely.

Amara rolled her eyes and scoffed, prompting Jubilee to shoot a glare her way before she stepped forward and met Ray's question with a small smile.

"No word yet but he hasn't been in there long either. I'm sure he'll be fine," she assured, glancing between Roberto and Amara.

It was hard. She could see both sides of the coin and, while her loyalties were with Amara, she couldn't help but silently root for Roberto. He had his work cut out for him but she was confident that if he was as serious as he claimed he could handle it.

She just hoped that Amara's frigidness wouldn't make him tuck tail and run.

And she was sure there was a very good explanation for Roberto cleaning Sam's clock earlier.

Maybe.

Possibly.

"Well that's good. Isn't it, 'Berto?" Ray turned to his friend with a meaningful look that demanded he agree to keep the peace.

Roberto looked over the other three occupants of the hallway with a disdainful glare and shook his head. "Peachy. Fucking amazing is what it is."

Amara's own glare intensified at his choice of words and she scoffed. His eyes snapped to hers and underneath all the anger Ray saw hurt. Hurt that she didn't have faith in him to do what was right. Faith to trust his judgment. Faith that he could take care of her and love her as she needed to be loved.

Roberto opened his mouth to speak but a spark of blue electricity whizzing past his face and hitting the wall beside him made him come up short. He turned his glare on Ray who scowled at him in return before nodding his head toward Amara.

It was a warning to watch his tongue. It was a reminder that he was on shaky ground with this girl and any misstep could blow all the progress he'd made, if he'd even made any at all.

An uncomfortable silence settled on the hallway and the four shot each other awkward looks for a couple of minutes before Amara broke the silence.

"So are you going to tell us what happened?" Her inquiry was directed at Roberto but her eyes were on Ray. She couldn't bring herself to look at him just then. If possible, things were even more strained in this moment than they had been for the entire year Roberto had been attempting to court her.

Roberto laughed dryly. "What? Sam didn't enlighten you to the night's events already?"

His tone was snide but, somehow, Amara found the strength to keep her cool. Princess facade firmly in place, she shifted her eyes to his, meeting his gaze head on and visibly startling him.

"No he didn't. But I didn't ask him, did I?" she began in an uncharacteristic monotone. "I asked you so how about it?"

Ray choked on a poorly stifled laugh while Jubilee, on the other hand, cackled outright. This situation was insanely humorous to her. Hell, she'd pay to see this play out at the movie theater.

Roberto opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as the door to the med bay opened and Sam walked out. He looked up and his gaze immediately settled on the Brazilian mutant. The two exchanged dirty looks before Sam turned to Amara and his entire expression changed.

"Well?" Jubilee asked expectantly. "What's the verdict?"

Sam didn't even bother to look her way. "I'll live," he assured with a laugh. "With some help, of course," he added a moment later, sending a wink in the Roman knockout's direction.

She looked down with an attractive blush on her cheeks and Ray grabbed Roberto's arm just before he could take a step in their direction.

Amara smiled and nodded, moving toward him and once again allowing him to dispense some of his body weight on her as she helped him to the elevator.

When she was sure they were gone, Jubilee turned to Roberto, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Don't worry," she began, voice dually soothing and teasing. "She's not interested in him; she just doesn't know how to take male attention."

Roberto scoffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not worried."

"Yeah and I'm the Queen of England."

* * *

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	6. You don't have to love me yet

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

* * *

_Chapter Six_

"I'm not entirely sure just what got into the two of you last night but I'm positive that it was a fluke and won't happen again..." Xavier stated with a stern gaze.

Roberto wasn't sure what frightened him more: Wolverine's growl or the Professor's detached disappointment.

In any case, he turned to Sam with a wan smile and nodded, encouraging the taller mutant to nod as well. As much as he hated to admit it, they needed each other's cooperation to get out of trouble and luckily for him Sam was a goody-goody if there ever was one.

The blonde took the hint and mimicked the gesture, smiling in return, albeit a little more convincingly than Roberto himself had.

"Won't happen again, Professor," the boy scout promised eagerly, prompting Roberto to roll his eyes and shake his head at the younger boy's terrible over acting.

Xavier nodded once and continued. "Good." He paused to look between the two of them and, while Roberto was sure he wasn't reading their minds without permission, he was positive their mentor saw something he didn't like. "As a precaution, however, I am switching your housing assignments. Roberto, you will move out of your shared quarters and move in with Ray while Bobby moves in with Sam."

Neither protested this idea, Roberto was even gladdened by it, not that it would have mattered anyhow. Xavier knew that whatever had transpired between the two former friends was a dividing event that would take time to repair, if it was ever mended at all, and his pockets just weren't deep enough to deal with the possible future consequences of leaving two quarreling and highly powered mutants roommates.

It just wasn't an intelligent course of action.

000

"Psst."

Amara rolled her eyes and turned to glare at Jubilee. "You are going to get me in trouble again," she warned, eyes flashing in irritation.

Jubilee laughed and reached forward, poking her in the side. "McCoy's not even here yet," she began with a smile. "Besides, he's staring again."

"I know," Amara whispered, turning back to her desk. She was conscious of everything he did, especially after their argument of sorts the previous night.

"Are you going to study with him this afternoon?" Jubilee asked with interest and prompting her friend to duck her head, feigning great fascination with her book on foreign policies.

She was silent for a moment and Jubilee wondered if she would ignore her completely, stall until McCoy entered for his lecture and they could no longer speak. "I am going to study in the library this afternoon as I always do," she explained after a moment. "Whether or not he is there is of no consequence to me."

It was a lie. Jubilee knew it as she knew the back of her own hand. It _did_ matter to Amara if he showed up; it could very well break her heart if he chose not to because of his brawl with Sam. Amara was just beginning to trust him and right now, when that trust could very easily be broken, she needed him to stick around and assure her that he was worth her faith.

Scanning the room as nonchalantly as possible, her eyes met questioning chocolate ones and she nodded at him. She saw his face light up before he turned toward Ray, speaking with his friend quietly.

"Why should it matter to you where I study?" Amara wondered, whipping back around.

Jubilee jumped at the sudden movement and quickly tore her eyes away from the two boys across the room. It would not do if she was caught conspiring with_ the enemy_.

"Oh no reason, just curious," she began, laughing nervously. "Maybe I'll join you."

Amara raised a suspicious brow but said nothing as McCoy entered the room. She would be questioned thoroughly later.

000

"How can you be so sure?" Ray asked distractedly. His eyes were focused on the book in front of him, trying to cram in case McCoy decided to give a last minute pre-test in order to better gauge the overall success rate of the actual test tomorrow.

He was not above such trickery. In fact he was known for it.

"Because Jubilee just told me," Roberto retorted smugly.

He watched as his blonde friend's head snapped up, a curious look on his face. He was no doubt wondering just when this interaction had taken place and how he'd missed it.

"Come again?" he wondered with a raised brow.

"She just nodded, telling me that 'Mara would be in the library this afternoon. Maybe now I'll be able to straighten things out with her..."

Ray took note of the sad tone of his friend's voice and watched him turn his attention to the beauty across the room. "Turning her best friend into a spy?" he joked. "That's playing a bit dirty isn't?"

Roberto turned back to Ray, startling him a bit with the seriousness of his expression. "What else am I supposed to do? She won't give me the time of day unless I enlist a bit of help. It's necessary."

Ray started to say something but decided against it as Dr. McCoy entered the room.

When McCoy turned to the blackboard and began to jot down the overview of the day, Roberto leant toward him. "Besides, if I have it my way, we'll be playing more than a _bit_ dirty." The assurance was accompanied by an arrogant wink and a self-assured smirk that Ray couldn't help but laugh at.

Roberto would be mighty lucky if he escaped his courtship of Amara without scorch marks on his ass.

000

Jubilee rolled her eyes in disgust as she passed Sam upon entering the library. When she was sure he was out of earshot, she huffed and sent a weak glare in her friend's direction.

"What was he doing in here?" she wondered, stopping by the table her friend had chosen and crossing her arms. "Please don't tell me he's joining us."

Amara looked up from her English book and cocked a brow at her friend. "Would it matter if he was?" She shook her head at the scandalized expression Jubilee pinned her with and forged on. "But no, he is not. He was just helping me carry my books."

Jubilee scoffed. "Sure he was." Amara just sighed and turned back to her book. "Look 'Mara, I'm not sure him being around is such a good idea. He might get the wrong idea-"

"We are friends. I have expressed this to him very clearly and he is okay with it," the princess cut in with a look that said the conversation was over.

Jubilee gave a defeated groan and plopped down noisily beside her. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when your relationship naivety gets Sam killed."

Amara looked back up at her friend's ominous words. "You are being a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

A dry laugh escaped the younger girl as she reached for Amara's book on government policies. "After what happened last night, I'd say anything is possible."

"Speaking of," Amara began with an air of forced casualty. "What did you and the guys talk about last night after Sam and I left?"

Jubilee ducked her head, staring intently at the book in front of her. "You."

Amara's eyes widened and, after a moment of being ignored, she reached over and poked the girl next to her. "Well?"

Huffing out an exasperated breath, the petite Asian looked up wearily. "Just be careful with how close you let Sam get," she advised lowly. "Roberto's got a green streak a mile wide," she added at Amara's confused expression.

Despite the reservations her friend had, Jubilee knew that Roberto was very serious in his pursuit of her and that he would not tolerate interlopers. Whatever had transpired between him and Sam the previous night had blown his fuse, not that his fuse had been overly long in the first place, and it wouldn't take much to ignite his temper where the Southerner was concerned. At this point, Roberto was as volatile as a volcano and he wasn't the type of guy to play games.

He wasn't Remy LeBeau. He wouldn't beat around the bush and playfully flirt with her to hide his true feelings; he wouldn't flirt with other women in front of her to make her jealous. Roberto da Costa was as serious as serious could be and he didn't mess around when his heart was on the line.

* * *

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	7. Let's get high a while

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or the characters.

* * *

The look on Amara's face when Roberto and Ray decided to join them in the library that afternoon could only be described as comical. Her eyes had widened considerably and Jubilee was sure she'd even seen the princess' mouth drop open for a second before she'd remembered herself and her facade had slipped back into place with an almost audible click.

Shooting a look at Ray, Jubilee noticed that the lanky teen was battling with his own amusement at the situation. Roberto looked as though he wanted to blot and run and, while his expression was a bit entertaining, Jubilee felt bad for him. He'd spent a year trying to build up some sort of trust, some foundation with Amara for one night, one fight with Sam to almost ruin it.

His confidence and determination were still there, of course, he just seemed afraid of what Amara would do. Her reaction could make or break him.

"Fancy meeting you here," she greeted, smiling at the two boys genuinely.

Amara's head snapped in her direction, a fierce glare on her face.

It was a set-up, it had to be. The questions, the advice, the anxiousness about Sam. Jubilee had set her up.

"Likewise," Ray returned calmly, taking a seat at the table.

The Roman royal shot a wary look at Roberto only to find his gaze indecipherable. His dark face was completely impassive and his chocolate eyes kept darting to Ray uncertainly.

What in the world was he so nervous about? This was all his doing, wasn't it?

Or was it?

Eyes sliding from Roberto to Ray and then Jubilee, Amara felt her stomach drop. Maybe Roberto didn't set this up, maybe this was all Ray and Jubilee. She wasn't sure why the thought of him being forced into her presence hurt but she _was_ sure of one thing; once they got back to their room, she was going to kill Jubilee.

000

"Well," Jubilee began, inhaling sharply. "I think I'm going to get a bottle of water. Anyone else want anything?"

They'd been studying for an hour and the tense silence surrounding them was about to kill her.

"I think I'd like a bottle of water too," Ray agreed, standing. "I'll go with you."

Amara and Roberto looked up at that, equally horrified at the mere thought of being alone together. Amara just sat there, gaping like a fish out of water, while Roberto stood and grabbed Ray's arm.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he whispered to his friend, looking at Amara nervously. "One of you should probably stay here, what if I blow it?"

Ray smiled sympathetically as he eased his arm out of Roberto's desperate grip. "Just keep the conversation light and watch your temper. You'll be fine," he assured before steering Jubilee out of the library and away from the odd couple.

Roberto turned back to the table and warily sat back down. Amara opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and looked away.

"Look, Amara," Roberto began, sensing her hesitance. "I think we should talk about last night-"

"I'd rather not," she cut in, turning back to her book. "There is no point in dwelling on what is now over."

Sighing, he ran a dark hand through his hair. Couldn't she at least give him a chance to explain? Sure explaining might make things worse but she could at least let him try.

"But-" he tried again, only to be interrupted as Jubilee and Ray ran back in the library.

"We've got a mission," Ray informed, slightly out of breath.

And if Roberto had thought for even a second that there was a chance he might not get to plead his case with her at all, he would have insisted that they talk right then, mission or no.

* * *

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	8. Try to understand

_Crazy on You_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

A/N: I want to say thank you to my reviewers for your continued support. I appreciate your feedback.

* * *

A slow beep disrupted the silence of the med bay and Amara found the sound somewhat comforting. It kept her from thinking too much about the events of their recent battle with the Acolytes.

It was all too fresh in her mind and literally everything about their evening altercation with the older mutants haunted her. She remembered, very clearly, the array of lights and flashes given off by the myriad of different powers, the explosions, the smell of burning uniforms and scorched skin and hair.

Her stomach knotted painfully as she recalled the very event that found her at his bedside. Sighing and running a hand through her hair, she leant forward and took his hand with the other.

His arm was encased in a heavy, bulky cast.

He was an idiot. If she'd had any doubts about it before, it was official now. She wasn't entirely sure just why he'd felt the need to interfere in her fight with Gambit but she'd made it her mission to find out.

If he'd only open his eyes, that is. He'd been out cold for five and a half hours and she was getting anxious.

He should have woken up by now.

000

The first thing that Roberto became aware of upon regaining consciousness was a gentle hand cradling his own and the slow, steady beep of a machine. He groaned and tried to sit up, anxious to find out who was sitting with him and hoping against all hope that it was who he wished it to be.

"Take it easy."

He breathed a sigh of relief, of bliss. She was with him and that was all he needed or cared to know.

Struggling against the sharp pain throbbing at his temples, presumably a result of pain medication, he opened his eyes and turned toward her with an incredulous expression. "You're here."

It was lame but it was all he could think to say. Just a few hours ago she wouldn't even talk to him and now here she was, sitting by him as he rested.

She blushed and shifted her eyes to a point just above his head. "So I am," she admitted in her princess monotone.

He swallowed roughly at her at her apparent unhappiness with the situation and wondered just how far he could push her before she'd retreat to her protective shell.

"How long have I been out?" he wondered, looking down at the blanket covering him and pulling at a loose string.

"Six hours, eight minutes and forty two seconds," she responded automatically. "Not that I've been counting," she added hastily, looking a bit embarrassed at her lapse in control. "There isn't a lot to do in here aside from staring at the clock."

He couldn't help but smirk at her sheepish expression and downcast eyes. He turned his hand in hers and gripped her fingers gently when she would have pulled away. "I'm glad you're here," he confessed with a small smile.

Her eyes snapped to his and she sent him a tentative smile in return, lips twitching just barely but that was enough for him.

000

"What do you think they're talking about?" Jubilee wondered, standing in front of the med bay window.

Ray didn't answer immediately, prompting her to turn only to find him staring at their friends with a sly grin. "Who cares?" he replied with an unconcerned shrug of his shoulders. "I don't think it matters as long as they're talking."

Jubilee studied him for a moment before nodding, expression still a bit doubtful.

She hadn't expected this to happen, no one had but she couldn't help feeling that it was sort of a blessing in disguise. She recalled the exact moment Gambit's charge had gone off, catching Roberto in the crossfire and sending him flying across their battlefield. Amara had instantly abandoned their fight, allowing Rogue to take her place while she checked on the Brazilian mutant.

The two X-Men had gone against protocol, broken formation and disobeyed direct orders but none of that had seemed to matter because Roberto had been in trouble. It was frightening to think that he could have been seriously injured but as soon as Dr. McCoy had assured them of his safety, the situation had taken on an endearing quality.

Jubilee found it mildly amusing that Amara could ignore him, deny him her attention until he was in trouble. Over the course of the day it had become apparent to _everyone_ that Amara and Roberto shared a connection. It was in her horrified expression at his accident, the way she had rushed to him and the way she had refused to leave his side even when Dr. McCoy promised to get her when Roberto woke up if she'd just go get some rest.

"Who knew that all it'd take to end this drama was 'Berto getting his clock cleaned?" Ray laughed and Jubilee turned to him with shocked eyes.

"That's not funny," she insisted, slapping his arm as his chuckles continued. "He could have been seriously hurt. Who knows what would have happened if Gambit had charged that card just a little longer?"

Ray's snickers came to an abrupt halt when Jubilee turned her attention back to the couple in the med bay, eyes somber. "Come on, Jubes," he began, taking a few cautious steps toward her. "I didn't mean it like that. Hell, I was worried about him too. It's just a bit funny how quickly her guard dropped when he was in danger." He paused and reached for her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

She flinched but didn't pull away. "You doubted that she cared about him." It wasn't a question.

His reflection in the window nodded. "I did," he confirmed, voice strong, tone sure. "I don't anymore, though."

She smiled a bit at that and looked down, studying the metal sill of the observation window. "What do you think made him do it?"

Ray's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Do what?"

"Meddle in her fight with Gambit," she whispered, chancing a glance at his reflection as his hands tightened marginally on her shoulders.

"Gambit wouldn't dare harm Rogue," he explained slowly, as though trying to collect his own thoughts before voicing them. "But he wouldn't think twice about hurting Amara. Roberto saw that their fight was getting too heated and intervened." He paused for a moment as their eyes met in the reflection of the glass. "Make no mistake, Roberto would have killed Gambit if he'd hurt Amara. Or at the very least he would have died trying."

She opened her mouth but closed it again as his hands gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Men do crazy things like that when they're in love," he muttered as he leaned down toward her. "I'd have done the same thing for you..."

The statement was open-ended and his breath on her ear made her shiver.

"You shouldn't say things like that," she warned, flinching away from him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

And with that she turned and quickly made her way to the elevator.

000

"You know we never got to talk about what happened yesterday," Roberto began, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

Amara winced and tried to pull her hand back but he tightened his grip and forced her to stay put.

"You wouldn't be trying to run away from the guy who just risked his life to ensure your continued safety, would you?" he teased with an arched eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed and she resumed her struggles to draw away from him. "Speaking of," she started, jaw set. "What exactly did you think you were doing earlier?"

He settled back against the pillows of the medical bed, effortlessly retaining his hold on her hand. "I was protecting the love of my life, of course."

Amara's eyes narrowed even further as her ire grew stronger and he finally allowed her to tug her hand free. "Those are pretty strong words to describe someone you barely know," she returned with a scoff.

Roberto's jaw tightened as he watched her cross her arms and step away from the bed in an attempt to physically shut him out. "And who says I don't know you?" he challenged. "Quiz me. I'd wager I know more about you than your parents...Jubilee. I may even know more about you than you know about yourself."

"I'm not here to play word games with you," she insisted sourly, ignoring his assertions and abounding confidence.

He quickly sat up, easily matching her anger. "Then why _are_ you here?" he snapped, suddenly furious at her for belittling him.

She paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer. His expression relaxed marginally at her hesitation and the smirk that dominated his features, while cocky, was peppered with grim bitterness.

"To inform you that I do not need your assistance in fighting my battles. I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business from now on," she bit out before turning and storming out of the med bay.

Roberto let out a frustrated groan at her furious exit and, in a moment of rage, lifted the pitcher from the table beside him and chucked it across the room, eyes flashing yellow as it shattered against the wall.

000

Ray turned sharply as the door to the med bay opened with a swift '_whoosh_' before slamming shut. Amara stood behind him, breath coming out in shallow, uneven shudders and even though he didn't know her very well, he could tell that she was upset. Taking a tentative step toward her, he extended a comforting hand but the sound of breaking glass had them both flinching away from each other and the gesture went unnoticed.

She turned suspiciously shiny eyes to him and he could see that she was fighting with herself.

He shook his head when it appeared as though she was going to turn and go back in. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"But-" she began, eyes flickering to the door of the room behind them.

He smiled and finally placed that comforting hand on her shoulder. "Trust me," he insisted, turning her toward the elevator and giving her a gentle push in that direction. "Don't worry about him. I'll take care of it."

She looked back over her shoulder skeptically before nodding reluctantly and slowly making her way down the hall. Ray watched her go and, once she boarded the elevator, he barreled into Roberto's recovery room.

The Brazilian mutant's head snapped up as the door bounced off the wall but Ray ignored his obvious surprise. "What the hell did you do?"

Roberto rolled his eyes and leaned back against his pillows. "I don't know what you're talking about," he returned nonchalantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ray rolled his eyes and stalked forward. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, you conceited bastard." Roberto's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to interrupt but Ray continued. "Keep up this rich, top-of-the-world, playboy shit and you'll lose her." He paused and gazed on his friend with pity. "You almost had her and then you opened your fucking mouth."

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Roberto snapped with a frown. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut the fuck up," Ray growled, pacing away from the bed. "You don't know what you're talking about. As usual."

Roberto sighed and, forgetting his predicament, ran a shaking hand through his hair, wincing as the movement pulled on his injured arm. "It's over," he whispered, defeated.

Ray turned, blue eyes clouded with confusion. "You're giving up? Just like that?"

"She doesn't want me," he yelled, outraged at the entire situation.

He'd fucked up. He'd pushed her away with his arrogant pride and now she didn't even want to be in the same room with him.

And he couldn't even get out of bed to follow her. To try and make her understand.

He was trying to change. Trying to be better. He wanted her. He wanted her so bad he could taste it but it was hard to change nineteen years of egotism, of thinking only about himself. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that not all women could be bought.

Not all women could be charmed.

"Why do you even care?" Roberto whispered after a moment.

Ray sighed and paced back to where his friend lay, consumed with his thoughts. "She's good for you. You know it and I know it." A moment, a laugh. "Hell everyone knows it now!"

Roberto cocked a brow at him, tilting his head in contemplation. "You think she can sway Jubilee," he concluded with a half smile.

The lanky teen before him shrugged carelessly. "That's just a bonus."

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	9. He's a magic man

Crazy on You

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

A/N: I want to thank my reviewers. I really appreciate your feedback.

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Amara rolled her eyes as another '_pop_' echoed in the small room she shared with Jubilee. Her friend had been awfully quiet since Roberto's accident two days prior, choosing to spend most of her time in their room on her bed staring at the ceiling, amusing herself with small, private light shows courtesy of her mutant gene.

The Roman royal flinched as a sparkler crackled too close for comfort. "Would you mind keeping your fireworks on your side of the room?" she snapped, glaring at the quirky Asian.

Jubilee cocked a brow. "What has the royal underwear in a twist this afternoon?" she bit back with a glare of her own. "You know you should be in better humor than that, I hear your boyfriend escaped the med bay with just a cast and a couple of months on the bench."

A black spiral notebook was airborne before the words even had time to go cold and landed with a satisfying '_smack_', bringing the informal fireworks display to an abrupt halt.

"Hit a royal nerve, did I?" Jubilee sneered, tone uncharacteristically malicious as she tossed the book to the floor.

"I could ask you the same," Amara returned evenly. "You've been moping around here like a lost puppy and avoiding Ray like the plague. Have anything you want to share with the class?"

Jubilee scoffed as she returned to her pyrotechnics. "Hardly. I've just been preoccupied-"

"'_Paffing_' your problems away is not preoccupation, it's distraction," Amara interrupted swiftly, closing her book and setting it to the side. "And forced distraction at that."

The raven-haired teen sat up at that, eyes narrowed. "So my fireworks are like your studying?"

Chestnut eyes widened a bit before narrowing. "No. My studying _is_ preoccupation. It is something I do regularly that engrosses my mind and takes up a great deal of my time," the young princess explained smartly. "Your pops and crackles, on the other hand, are a method of diversion. It's not something you normally do but you're doing it now in an effort to distract yourself. To hinder your thoughts of something or someone."

Jubilee's mouth dropped open as she sat there, gaping like a fish out of water. "Shut up," she shot back after a moment. "I'm not thinking of anyone. It's none of your business anyway."

000

Ray grinned as he spotted Amara walking toward him. It had been two days since he'd shared that moment with her outside of Roberto's recovery unit and he'd found their eyes meeting in McCoy's lectures more often than not. She was worried about Roberto, who had yet to make a public appearance since his release, no doubt.

It was a relief to know that she genuinely cared about him and honestly her timing couldn't be more perfect. He'd literally been looking for her all day. Roberto was getting on his last nerve, wallowing in self pity and Ray was sure that, despite their fight the other day, Roberto's spirits would be lifted at the sight of her.

"Just the woman I was looking for," he greeted with a sly smirk.

Amara rolled her eyes and stopped before him. "Jubilee's not in tow today, sorry," she sneered good-naturedly, prompting a laugh from the usually reserved mutant.

He shook his head and took her arm gently, pulling her to the side with him to allow Sam to pass by. He and the younger man shared a glare and Ray waited until he was out of sight before turning back to Amara. "Funny girl," he quipped before admitting: "I actually _do_ have ulterior motives but, for once, they have nothing to do with your shadow."

Amara quirked a brow at him before glancing down at where he still held her arm. He quickly dropped the appendage as though burned and cleared his throat. "Roberto's been a bit out of it lately and I think you just might be what the doctor ordered."

Her suspicious gaze turned panicked as she shook her head and backed away from him. "Oh no," she began as he reached out and caught her arm again. "I honestly don't think that's a good idea."

Ray smiled, noting the slight informality of her speech and thinking that maybe Roberto was having more of an effect on her than he'd originally thought. "Oh but _I_ do," he returned confidently. He knew with a hundred percent certainty that if anyone could pull his friend out of his current funk, it was the beauty in front of him. "I'm not asking you to throw yourself at him like some common...harlot-"

"Harlot?" she inquired curiously, pinning him with an adorably puzzled expression.

"Hussy," he supplied awkwardly. The term only earned him another bewildered look. "Floozy." Chestnut eyes blinked cluelessly, though her mouth was beginning to morph into an amused smirk. "You're just yanking my chain, aren't you?"

She nodded guiltily. "You had me at harlot," she admitted with a full-blown grin. "But it was a bit entertaining watching you flounder around for terms more suitable with my upbringing as opposed to slang."

Ray shook his head, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "As I was saying, I'm not asking you to go in there and seduce him, all I'm saying is that it might cheer him up a bit to see you," he explained, eyes downcast in preparation for what he was about to say. "Maybe apologize for what happened the other day..."

Her eyes narrowed, expression changing dramatically at his words.

"Not that you have anything to apologize for," he amended quickly. "Just to pacify him. Get him to leave our room." A pause. "Please," he pleaded, eyes widening in a sad, soulful way. "I'd consider it a favor." Her gaze softened marginally and, sensing the change, he pushed a bit further. "I'd owe you."

She seemed to be considering his proposition before: "Girls aren't allowed in the boys' dormitory."

"You just let me worry about that."

000

Amara wasn't entirely sure just how she'd been bamboozled into Ray's little scheme but she was very certain that she officially wanted out. As if asking her to go visit that arrogant...stubborn...cretin wasn't bad enough, she was forced to wear said subject's clothing to disguise herself long enough to get into the boys dormitory undetected.

She was so lucky that Storm was on dorm patrol this week instead of Wolverine.

"I'm beginning to think that this isn't such a good idea, Ray," she whispered as she struggled to hide her bra strap in a shirt that was literally falling off of her, all the while stumbling around in pants that were way too long.

Ray was completely unhinged if he thought for one second that this ruse would fool anyone. She was most definitely not a boy, even in men's clothing.

Especially in men's clothing.

Her only salvation was that he'd been kind enough to acquire a belt for her while dreaming up this insane scheme. The last thing she needed was trying to hold her pants up on top of everything else.

"The idea is fine," he assured with a chuckle. "And the clothes will do in a pinch at a glance. We just have to keep moving so no one has the chance to look again." A pause and then: "Quit fidgeting."

She huffed, drawing up as Jamie passed them, too occupied with his phone to even look up at them. "I can't help it. How in the world do you guys wear stuff like this?"

Ray had the audacity to laugh at her before: "It's more comfortable when the clothes actually fit. Roberto is a good two to three times bigger than you are, princess."

Amara scowled at the nickname and grumbled disgustedly. She knew he was bigger than her. In all actuality, she was acutely aware of it. "Then why did you have to get Roberto's clothes?"

Ray's expression took on an alarmingly devious quality that, if she were completely honest, scared her a bit. "Because he's my roommate and I could take them without him noticing...and I'm too tall," he explained easily.

It had nothing to do with the fact that Roberto would surely flip when he saw her wearing his clothes. In the best way possible if Ray knew him like he knew he did.

She opened her mouth to protest but he merely said: "Good luck," as they reached the room he shared with Roberto before opening the door and shoving her inside.

So maybe he'd lied when he'd told her he didn't expect her to seduce him.

000

Amara gasped as she was unceremoniously thrown into Roberto's room, turning with a glare as the door slammed shut behind her.

'_Conniving fiend!_' She thought venomously.

"Damn it, Ray. How many times do I have to tell you to keep it down?" Roberto groaned.

Amara turned sharply, eyes searching the room frantically. She squinted in the dark but couldn't find him despite her best efforts. "Um, it's not Ray," she mumbled, wringing her hands in front of her.

He bolted up, disturbing the piles of blankets covering him from where he lay on his bed and stared at her with wide, dazed eyes.

She was here.

She was wearing his clothes.

Why was she wearing his clothes?

Chocolate eyes roved her form hungrily, taking in everything from how she filled out his maroon sweater to the way his cargos hung off her form. She was so tiny that it made him ache and the mere glimpse of her bra strap had him drooling.

"Well the noise was Ray but I'm not," she rambled quietly, shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably. His stare was disconcerting.

He cleared his throat as he threw the rest of the blankets away from him and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was shirtless and he looked terrible. His hair was a spiked mess, his face was shadowed by two days of scruff and bruises covered his face and chest. She'd never seen him look so unkempt.

She scoffed, surprising them both. "I see you've not only become a recluse but you've apparently forgotten everything you knew about hygiene as well."

Roberto's eyes narrowed as he rose from the bed and stalked over to his dresser, his back to her. Leaning down he braced himself against the sturdy wood and peered into the mirror, grimacing at his own reflection. "And how exactly am I supposed to effectively maintain good hygiene with my arm in this damned cast?" he growled out, slamming his hand into the wall and disturbing the mirror enough to make it shake.

Rolling her eyes, Amara took a step toward him. "You're not helpless," she began, softening her tone against his anger. "You just need to adjust; adapt to the situation."

Turning swiftly, he raised his right arm and shook his cast at her. "Look at me," he demanded lowly. "I can't even hold a pencil, let alone a razor for Christ's sake."

Amara averted her gaze from his penetrating chocolate orbs and turned her attention to the dresser behind him. "Well no wonder you can't hold your razor," she muttered, eyes hardening as she pushed past him. "Who shaves with these anymore?" she wondered aloud, plucking an old fashioned straight edge from the sideboard.

Roberto mumbled something about rich families, nostalgia and tradition before carefully snatching the razor from her and returning it to the dresser. "Is there a reason for this visit?" he implored with a sneer. "Aside from criticizing my hygiene and grooming habits?"

She was silent for a moment and he took the opportunity to look her over. He had to admit: she looked very appealing in his clothing.

Who was he kidding? She was downright _edible_ in his clothing. Her hair was up and messy and gave him a teasing view of her neck.

What he wouldn't give to be able to lean forward and...

"What if I agreed to help you?" she began unsurely.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?"

She was fidgeting and wringing her hands nervously and he wanted to take her by her shoulders and shake her. She shouldn't fear him, he'd never hurt her. She should know that.

"What if I helped you clean up?"

000

No one had ever given him a shave before. It was a different experience and, given his choice razor, a bit dangerous. Should she choose to, she could slit his throat and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it and, even though she would never do such a thing, that vulnerable feeling was still there.

Truth be told, he found it a bit sexy. It hadn't seemed that way at first when she'd made the offer but now, with her sitting between his legs in front of him on his bed, it was a different story.

She was so close that his senses were in overdrive and he could literally feel everything about her. He could feel every move she made, every blink of her eyes, every swipe of her tongue across her lips and every breath she took as she gently shaved him.

The sleeve of his sweater fell down to her elbow as she worked, revealing a slender wrist that he was sorely tempted to kiss. The only sound in the room was the scraping of the straight edge against his stubbly cheek and while it wasn't the most romantic sound, it was peaceful. It was their own music.

Chocolate eyes zeroed in on her face and he smiled at the concentration he found there. "Where did you learn to do this?" he whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder he'd startle her into accidentally murdering him.

She laughed, a low throaty sound so different from her usual princess-like giggle. "My father uses a straight razor because it's tradition, because we are fond of the old ways. My mother used to perform this service for him," she explained hesitantly. "I always thought it looked like fun; they always had a good time together, laughing and-" she cut herself short, instead licking her lips nervously. "I used to ask when I could shave daddy's whiskers and one day she taught me." A bittersweet pause and then: "After she died...sometimes when he was really sad I would do this for him and he would smile and tell me I looked like my mother."

Silence filled the room as he sat there, absorbing her story. She finished rather quickly after that and, as she was running her hand across his jaw to assess her work, he carefully cupped her face between his dark hands, mindful of the rough material of his cast. "If your mother looked anything like you, she must have been an angel." He leaned toward her even as her eyes began to shine with water. "But it's hard to imagine anyone being as beautiful as you are."

She gulped as he moved in but didn't pull away. Despite her best efforts, against her better judgment, she'd been waiting for this.

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